Forest honey solution.

[Antkeeper]

I have just realized I have been using the same honey solution for about a year now or more. It is pure forest honey in a little drop bottle, as it comes from AntsUK.

Question: I know honey stays well for many months, but when do I need to start thinking about replacing it for a new bottle?!

I only have one main colony, so I don't need to use much! That's the problem, I probably should try more colonies...

[Jenny]

If there is no "use by date" on it, I would buy another one in the Spring anyway, just so that you know it is fresh. I bought some BQ small sauce bottles that they were selling in Sainsburys as a set, squeezy and good for homemade honey solutions. Honey lasts a long time on its own, but once watered down I wouldn't like to trust it the same.

[Wood~Ant]

Pure honey in its natural form taken from a bee hive contains enzymes from their saliva. This acts as a natural antiseptic and preservative, which is why honey was used in the olden days for the treatment of certain open wounds to avoid sepsis.
Watering it down and putting droplets onto wads of cotton wool makes it vulnerable to fungus spores in the air, as I have seen honey water soaked wads turn green or grow fluffy white fungus tendrils after a few weeks.

Ants will eat pure honey from the jar, but it can make them dehydrate as all the water is removed by the bees. I add just enough hot water to dilute it so it runs easily and change it for fresh either once a week, or when my ants have drunk so much of the honey water it starts to thicken into a sugary crystallized substance.
The runny honey is best as it doesn't need as much watering down than the thick set honeys do.

[Antkeeper]

I changed my honey solution over at the weekend after using it for so long. I could not believe how thick it sets when sitting for a while! I had trouble removing, so I used boiled water, which did the trick and it did not melt my plastic dropper. No wonder I could never squeeze it out of the bottle! Now that fresh honey is in, it comes out with ease... ! No more blowing a blood vessel to get a drop of honey out..